Wireless mobile communication technology uses various standards and protocols to transmit data between a transmission station and a wireless device (e.g., mobile device). Some wireless communication technologies use orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) combined with a desired digital modulation scheme via a physical layer. Standards and protocols that use OFDM include the third generation partnership project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard (e.g., 802.16e, 802.16m), which is commonly known to industry groups as WiMAX (Worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access), and the IEEE 802.11 standard, which is commonly known to industry groups as WiFi.
In 3GPP radio access network (RAN) LTE systems, the transmission station can be a combination of Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node Bs (also commonly denoted as evolved Node Bs, enhanced Node Bs, eNodeBs, or eNBs) and Radio Network Controllers (RNCs), which communicates with the wireless mobile device, known as a user equipment (UE). In IEEE 802.16 WiMAX RANs, the transmission station can be referred to as a base station (BS). In IEEE 802.11 WiFi RANs, the transmission station can be referred to as a WiFi wireless access point (WAP). The RAN can provide connectivity between a core network (CN) (e.g., an evolved packet core (EPC)) and the wireless device. The core network can provide connectivity to the Internet.
Wireless mobile communication technology can also include device-to-device (D2D) communication where two wireless devices (e.g., UEs) can communicate directly with each other without a node. D2D wireless communication techniques may be used to perform peer-to-peer/point-to-point (P2P) communications among mobile devices and networks in various settings. D2D communications between mobile devices may be designed to complement the use of centralized communications from a node. For example, node communication can include centralized station-to-mobile communications from an eNodeB in a carrier network operating with a standard from a 3GPP Long Term Evolution/Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE/LTE-A) standards family, or from an access point (AP) in a Wi-Fi network operating with a standard from a IEEE 802.11 standards family.
D2D direct communications may be limited to devices located within the communication range of the wireless protocol or network configuration being used. However, a particular user may not be aware whether D2D communication-capable devices or known users associated with D2D communication-capable devices are within communication range, or whether such devices or users are currently or are prospectively in proximity to the particular user. Existing discovery techniques used to locate and seek out nearby D2D-capable devices generally involve the use of broadcasting and response schemes, which utilize detailed processing, responses, and data exchanges to discover devices.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.